Budget Cuts!
by Forks1
Summary: Spend- spend- spend! That's all the Cullen kids tend to do. Hilarity ensues as Carlisle puts his foot down and places the family on a budget. What happens if one of them needs more money? Easy- GET A JOB! CxE, BxE, JxA, RxE
1. Chapter 1

Story: Budget Cuts!

**A BIG thank you to my fabulous friends HB and Twilightened for your beta expertise! You guys are amazing!**

Disclaimer: I own nothing Twilight related (except my own personal copies of the books)... All characters are owned by the fabulous Stephenie Meyer!

**Chapter 1: Enough is Enough!**

_Carlisle Cullen_

Sucking in a deep breath, I exited the Emergency Room of the newest hospital to employ me. Fourteen hour days for the past four weeks. Wow... Physically, I felt fine- mentally, on the other hand... drained.

All I felt like doing was going home to my beautiful, sweet wife. The thought of relaxing in front of our fireplace, snuggled together sent chills up my spine. How long had it been since I fed last? I guess I should grab a bite to eat first... better yet, maybe Esme will come with me.

I flipped my phone open and pressed her speed dial number.

"Hi, handsome," she purred into the phone.

"Just what I wanted to hear! How 'bout you and me take a walk on the wild side when I get home?" I said as suggestively as I could.

Esme giggled quietly into the phone before her heavy breathing picked up. "How long until you get home?"

I smiled into the phone. "Already here..."

I parked my car in the garage, noticing right away that the brand new, supped up Camaro Rosalie had bought was completely stripped and the engine was sitting on the a workbench in front of me.

Shaking my head, I sucked in a deep breath. Why the hell did she buy all the extras on the damn car if she was just going to strip it and redo it? I forced myself to get out of my car, exit the garage and walked up the front steps of the house.

I could sense another disaster before I even opened the door. I paused with my hand on the handle for a moment and then turned the knob and opened the door.

I stood there in shock looking at the scene before me. UPS had obviously been here as three rows of boxes stood, stacked four high. All the boxes had the same name on them and all were unopened... Alice! More clothes I bet... like she has anywhere to put them... she already overtook the guest room and turned it into a second closet... Gritting my teeth I looked away from them.

A gasp escaped as I looked at my favorite chair. What was left of it that is... The rage was building inside of me. Emmett and Edward had to stop with their heated wrestling matches. I was continually finding new pieces of furniture adorning our house to replace the ones they had been thrown into, landed on, or used as objects to throw at the other opponent...

Stepping over the pile of smashed game controllers, I walked up the steps to my office. I knew I had to calm myself down before I saw Esme. My sweet wife, who has been cleaning up the messes our darling little demolition crew has made over the past century. Ugh... Poor Esme... How many walls has she repaired that have born the likeness of our three son's frames? How many windows has she replace from objects thrown from the hands of our three daughters towards their husbands when smart ass comments were made that the girls didn't appreciate so much?

Scrubbing my hands over my face I plopped down in my chair at my desk. Great... mail's here.  


Picking up the stack of bills and statements, I sorted out the junk mail. So many catalogs from the kid's online subscriptions... How many magazines does one need on Southern living or war toys? How many mechanic and auto magazines? How many clothing companies could be out there, and why must they ALL come to our house?

As I sorted out the mail, I picked up the stack of envelopes from our banks and credit card companies. I shouldn't have been shocked at how thick each one was, but for some reason the normalcy of how thick they were didn't seem normal any longer.

Slicing the first envelope from Citibank, I pulled the statement out. Nice... This was the card Alice favored. I unfolded the 17 pages of statement and started to look at all the purchases. I shook my head and scanned all the pages quickly feeling my temperature rise... And how was that even possible? I had no beating heart, no blood in my veins to warm my body.... I must really be losing it.

How in the hell could one person charge up $48,562.71 in one month? That just doesn't seem possible! What is that little devil buying? She has almost maxed her card out. I thought that a $50k limit was high enough, but she has been pushing the limit every month! The minimum payment is more than some people make in a month. _This has got to stop!_

I went on to the next envelope. Great! American Express... Jasper's... At least his statement wasn't more than 4 pages... a grand total of... _Crap!_ $49,997.34. What the hell did he buy? Scanning the statement, I was amazed at the charges from Cabela's, Barnes and Noble, Walden Books, Victoria's Secret? Clenching my teeth, I put it down to reach for the next statement.

Great. Discover Card... Nice and thick... thicker than Alice's... Not good. I tore the envelope open and pulled out the 25 page statement. Rosalie! I wanted to scream as the total charges came out to $151,489.33. I could only assume these charges were for her newest project that was taking its place in the garage. If she wanted a damn convertible, she should have chosen a convertible model instead of purchasing a do it yourself kit. Slamming the statement down on my desk, I let my head fall into my hands as I ran my fingers through my hair.

I started to pick up the next envelope as Esme walked in. I looked up to see her look of puzzlement as she crossed the room to my desk. "Carlisle? Is everything ok?" She paused a moment. "I thought we were heading out..."

I blew out a deep breath as sat back in my chair and ran my hands over my hair again, locking them behind my head. I looked up at Esme, who now sat on the edge of my desk.

"I got side tracked. These kids are out of control, Esme. I bust my butt day in and day out, hardly taking time for myself. Don't get me wrong, I love my job but when I come home to a brand new vehicle torn apart in our garage, boxes upon boxes of who knows what in my living room, when we all know the little walking ATM has no room for another thing in her 2 closets, and my favorite chair destroyed..." I took a deep breath to clear my head before I continued, "Look at these statements! They spent more money in 1 month than I make in a whole year! I know we have more than we could ever spend, but this is just not right! We seem to be raising irresponsible, lazy, ungrateful children. The pathetic thing about this whole situation is their age! They are not teenagers like they appear!"

Esme stood up from where she was sitting and moved closer to me. She put her hand lovingly on my shoulder before sitting down on my lap. "You work so hard Carlisle. They do take a lot of things for granted, and maybe it is time for them to learn a thing or two about holding down a job and the worth of a dollar." Esme's sweet voice always calmed me when I was upset and this was no exception.

Smiling, I pulled her hand to my mouth and kissed it gently. "They are old enough to learn responsibility. I think it is time we sit down and write out a budget. We can give them a modest monthly allowance. But, if they need more than that, they will need to get a job and prove they can support themselves!"

Esme smiled sweetly. "I think you're right. Let's go for that walk we talked about earlier, shall we?"

Sometime the next day...

I finally had a day off. I locked myself in my office all morning trying to focus on keeping Edward out of my head while going about the business I had decided upon. I took my time opening the rest of the mail and going over our financials so I could put together a budget. I knew that this was not going to go over well with the kids, but enough was enough!

I worked -- and reworked -- the budget several times, trying to make sure it was perfect. I made a note of the amount of money the kids spent over the past month and made sure it was highlighted in red on each credit card statement. After printing out copies for everyone to have their own, I headed downstairs to call a family meeting.

"I need everyone to come to the dining room immediately please," I called loud enough for everyone to hear.

One by one, they started to file in, sitting in the chairs around the table. Alice was the last to come in and by the look on her face, she was none too happy with me. Once everyone was seated, I took my place at the head of the table. Edward made eye contact with me, letting me know that he knew what was going on as well. I cleared my throat and started to speak, "I'd like to thank everyone for coming in so quickly-"

"Why so formal 'dad'?" Alice sneered.

"First of all, young lady, I can call a family meeting when I feel the need, and secondly, I don't need an attitude from you."

Emmett leaned back in his chair. "What's got your panties in a bunch, sis? Spill it!"

"Carlisle's the one with his panties in-" Alice said before I could cut her off.

"Alice! I will be the one leading this meeting. With that said, Esme will be handing out a packet to each one of you. The top page is the new budget we are putting into place effective immediately, the following pages are copies of all the credit card statements that came in the mail yesterday."

I heard a low grumblings from everyone as they looked at the packet in front of them.

Alice flipped the cover of hers open and let out a shrill scream. "You cannot be serious! You expect me to live every month on 'chump change'? Have you been self medicating? I had a vision that we were going to live on a small amount of money each month, but never thought it would be pennies!"

A warm blanket of calm swept the room and I shot a glance to Jasper. "Thanks, Jasper."

"Not helping, Jazz!" Alice sang with a dead calm voice.

"Why don't you explain why you made up this budget, Carlisle," Edward added.

Taking a deep breath, I glanced around the table, making sure to make eye contact with everyone before I spoke again, "Out of everyone in this room, I am the only one to work outside the home. I love my profession. It gives me such joy and satisfaction. Esme works very hard to keep the home clean and maintained. I feel that Esme and I are doing a great disservice to you children lately. You don't seem to understand the value of money or working for it."

"What's not to understand? You see something you want to buy, let's say the price tag is $78 dollars. You give them your credit card and it's paid for! All you have to do is sign on the line. Occasionally, you have to show your ID, but not very often," Alice chimed in with a nasty tone.

"True, but what do you do to earn that money you spend, Alice?" I challenged. "What do any of you do to earn the money you spend?"

"Well, I see what the stock market is going to do, and then we act on it," Alice sneered.

"I don't feed off humans," Jasper said quietly. "That's worth a lot in my opinion."

"I keep all the cars tuned up," Rosalie stated proudly.

"I keep my eye on Rosalie and hand her tools while she's maintaining the cars. I guess you could call me her assistant," Emmett joked.

"Maybe her ASSistant." Alice laughed, and soon after the rest of the room filled with laughter.

"Ok, that's enough. You will each get $500 on the 1st of each month, that money needs to last you through the whole month. If you find that you need more money than that, you will need to get a job."

"What? Are you serious?" Alice and Rosalie bellowed together.

"Dead serious."

"I'll just use my PayPal account when I run out of money," Alice whispered smugly to Jasper.

"Um, Alice, I am putting a freeze on all the credit cards. We will not be using them from here on out. Esme and I will be on the same cash budget as everyone else."

"We go to school all day and have homework after we get home from school!" Alice whined.

I looked at Alice. "How many times have you graduated from high school, Alice? You know everything there is to know. You don't study, and you get your homework done before the class even lets out. Nice try."

I glanced over at Edward and Bella. "You two have been quiet. Is there anything you would like to say about this?"

"Not really," Edward said politely.

"How long are we going to be on this budget?" Bella asked softly.

"We will re-evaluate in 6 months. If I feel that everyone has grown from this experience, we might drop the budget as long as everyone can keep their spending within reasonable limits."

"Six months," Rosalie grumbled.

"Alright, even though we are half way through the month, I am feeling a bit generous today. I will give all of you the full $500. Again, if you don't feel it is enough, get a job and earn more. Are we clear?" I asked.

"Crystal," Alice murmured.

I took my time handing out 5 crisp hundred dollar bills to each of the kids and Esme.

_Alice Brandon Whitlock Cullen_

Five hundred dollars. I can't believe Carlisle expects me to survive on a measly $500 dollars! That wouldn't even begin to cover a few outfits!

"Where am I supposed to get a job?" I couldn't help but whine.

"I'm pretty sure the golden arch's are in need of a fry cook," Emmett joked.

I glared at him as I flipped him the bird. "Not a chance!"

Esme put her arm around me. "Why don't you see if your favorite store at the mall is hiring, dear. You would be able to be around your favorite things and it probably wouldn't even feel like work. I bet you would get an employee discount as well."

Bella giggled, "Yeah Alice, you could be dressing up several people a day and actually get paid for it."

I couldn't help but jump up and down and clap my hands. "Oh my gosh! You are a genius! I don't know why I never thought of this before!"

_**Rosalie Hale McCarty Cullen**_

I watched Carlisle leave the room before turning to Emmett. "This will be a piece of cake. We can pool our money for anything I need." I leaned over to kiss him.

"Nah, babe. I need my money just as much as you need yours."

"You're kidding, right?" I looked into his eyes, waiting to see him agree with me.

"No, Rose. I go through a few game controllers a day. They add up."

Game controllers! I can't believe that I am married to such a selfish child. I wonder how much he would be willing give me to keep a dry spell from hitting. "Well, how 'bout I charge you anytime you want to get frisky?"

Emmett let out a booming laugh. "So your chosen profession is prostitution?"

I quickly cocked my arm back and let it fly. How dare he say that! I would never sell my body!  


Emmett clutched his stomach. "Ow, Rose!"

"You're an idiot!"

Esme laid her hand on my shoulder. "How about looking into working at an auto shop? You would get to take cars apart and put them back together again. It is something you enjoy and you would be paid to do it."

That made me relax. "Thanks, Esme. I think I might do that."

_Jasper Whitlock Cullen_

I might as well just get a job now. Alice will be spending my money for me anyways.

"Thanks, Jazz," Alice chirped before kissing me quickly on the cheek and snatching the cash out of my hand.

"Alice," I said as calmly as I could.

"What?"

"Can you please give me my money back?"

"Oh Jazz, we're married! Haven't you heard the saying, 'what's your's is mine'?"

Of course she left off the rest of the saying.

"Um, yeah. If you want to play it that way-" I quickly reached out to snatch all the money out of her hands, but not quickly enough.

Alice giggled. "Oh Jazz, you might be fast, but not fast enough!"

I bet I could get a job at the library. I love books and to be surrounded by them all afternoon would be very relaxing.  


_Emmett McCarty Cullen_

Rose! Laughing to myself, I thought about how she tried to convince me to hand over my money. I could hold out during a dry spell about as long as she could. We were equally matched when it came to our 'drives'.

"So Em, how are you going to earn extra money?" Jasper asked quietly.

"I think I might head on down to The Daily Grind and see if they are hiring."

"Oh, you'd be a great bouncer."

"Nah, I think I may try to be the entertainment."

Jasper's mouth hit the floor. "You'd better run that by Rosalie first. I don't think she will go for that one."

I shrugged and then felt Rosalie's hand hit the back of my head. "Ouch, Rose! Cut it out!"

"You are not working at a strip club, you bonehead!" Rosalie hissed.

"Just think of all the tip money, Rose. I'll give you half of my earnings. It sounds fun!" I pleaded.

"Whatever," Rosalie huffed as she stormed out of the room.

_Bella Swan Masen Cullen_

The budget didn't bug me. In fact, I was a little excited about it. I had wanted to get a job since we'd moved from Washington. The only thing that kept me back was my insecurities around humans. I still couldn't stand the smell of human blood, but I always worried that I would run into someone whose smell didn't repulse me.

Edward put him arm around me. "What are you thinking, love?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "About getting a job."

Edward laughed lightly. "Why, Bella? You hardly even spend over one hundred dollars a month. You don't have to get a job!"

"But I want to. It feels good to have some responsibilities."

Edward leaned his head down toward mine. "What type of job were you thinking about?"

"Don't laugh, Edward." I bent my head down, hiding my face. "I was thinking about applying at an Urgent Care."

I heard Edward suck in a quick breath so I tipped my head up and glanced at him. He looked extremely confused with a hint of humor on his face.

Emmett let out a hearty laugh as he bellowed, "Bella! Urgent Care? Since you got to see the inside of the emergency room intimately, that would be the perfect job for you!"

Edward let out a low growl as he shot a warning look at Emmett.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes Emmett, I did get to know a lot of medical staff when I would visit Urgent Care, but I would have a chance to help people that are in pain."

"Bella, think about this for a second. You will be in an environment where blood and opened wounds could be an hourly occurrence. Are you ready for that possibility?" Edward asked cautiously.

"I know you are worried about me, Edward, but I will be fine. I will hold my breath if it gets too much for me."

"If you want to help out people in the health field, why not work with the elderly? I bet there would be less blood in a retirement home."

"Ew! I had a hard time when I was human with the smell of old people- moth balls are not my opinion of a good work environment," I said while rolling my eyes.

_Edward Anthony Masen Cullen_

I watched Bella as she explained her reasoning as to why she wanted to get a job even though she didn't really need the money. She was one amazing woman, that was for sure. Bella softly laid her hand on my thigh. "What are you going to do?"

"I was thinking about working at La Grenouille, playing the piano."

"Playing the piano at a restaurant Edward? Come with me to the daily grind and get your freak on," Emmett teased.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "No thanks Emmett."

"Suit yourself bro- if playing the piano in a sleepy, boring place is exciting for you, go for it."

"It's not sleepy or boring. It caters to the wealthy on a daily basis. I will probably end up getting more in tips than you without losing any dignity in the process."

"You've got to have dignity first before you can lose it," Rosalie yelled down the stairs.

"She's one to talk-" Emmett murmured, "I wonder what she would charge to service my-" Emmett winked at me as he stalked up the stairs.

Bella giggled, "Well, you've got the perfect fingers-" she lifted my hands into hers, "long, smooth and oh so strong..."

I leaned into her. "Would you like to help me warm them up?"

The corners of her perfect lips curved up slightly. "I thought you'd never ask..."


	2. Rosalie

**_Budget Cuts! by Forks1_**

Disclaimer: I only own my personal copies of the Twilight series... nothing more, nothing less- Thank you Stephenie Meyer for letting us play with your fabulous characters!

Thank you HB & Twilightened! You guys are great in the beta and friendship department!**__**

Chapter 2: Rosalie

Rosalie Hale McCarty Cullen

I was up against a wall. The money Carlisle handed out two days ago was gone. I needed more money and Emmett was hiding all the money he had left. It was time to go in search of a job. A shutter went down my spine just thinking about having to work with humans. Esme, bless her heart was so supportive when it came to things like this. She suggested an auto shop.

Carefully lowering the hood of my 2009 Camaro, I walked out of the garage. I needed to find the newspaper and check the job listings.

I scanned the listings in the classified ads for auto mechanics, but was disappointed at the lack of jobs. There were listings for little hole-in-the-wall grease pits, and there was NO way I was going to lower myself to working at a place named, _Bubba__ Ray's__ Rev'n Riggs_. As I neared the end of the automotive section, I found a listing that looked promising. I had heard only good things about _Worldwide Muscle Cars_, and the fact that it was a nationwide chain lifted my spirits. The pay was nothing compared to what I was used to, but it would have to work given the circumstance I was in. Jotting down the phone number and address, I ran up to my room to grab my cell phone from it's charger. Five minutes later, I had my interview set up for 3:45pm the following day.

Now that I was almost gainfully employed, there was nothing left to do other than to go bug Emmett. Installing the make-shift basketball hoop/stripper pole yesterday proved to be quite interesting. I was constantly catching him playing on the pole when he had excused himself to shoot some hoops. I couldn't fault the guy for wanting privacy, with Edward's mind reading and Jasper's mood enhancing capabilities, Emmett couldn't get a moment's peace.

"Hey Emmett, wanna go shoot a few hoops?" I teased as I walked into the rec room. Emmett of course was playing Halo and by the intense look on his face he was about to lose another game controller.

"Not until Edward and Jasper leave-" Emmett hissed as he crushed the controller in his hands. "Damn! I need to stock up again and my money is almost gone."

"Speaking of money-" I paused, reaching up to twirl a lock of my hair around my fingers, "I have an interview tomorrow after school. How is your job situation?"

Emmett shot me a wide goofy grin, "Oh, a few more things to work out in my routine and I will be ready to hit the stage. Open auditions are Saturday morning."

I had only caught glimpses of his routine so far and I had to admit to myself that he was smokin' hot and clearly a natural at the movements he was putting together.

The next day...

School seemed to drag on and on. All I could think about was getting my hands under the hood of a finely tuned muscle car. My imagination was getting away from me- I could almost feel the warm pieces of metal I would soon be touching. _ I hope I can get my fingers dirty when I play inside whatever needs work. _ Finally the last bell rang, signaling the end of another school day.

Racing out to my supped up BMW convertible Z4, I slid behind the steering wheel, turned the key in the ignition and relaxed into the seat. Nothing spoke more clearly than the soft purr of a well built engine. I let the top down for the short drive downtown because topless was my favorite way to go.

One last check in the mirror told me what I already knew. I looked utterly perfect. I couldn't help but notice the crowd of men looking my way as I stepped out of my little red ride. I wasn't sure if it was my car or me, that was the focus of their lust filled gazes, but if I had to put my money on it, I would have to put the money on me. Alice had carefully picked my outfit for today. A short white and black checkered mini-skirt with a tight red tank top, covered with a nearly see through white blouse. The 4 inch red heels might have been a little much, but Alice knew I needed to make a great first impression!

Enjoying the attention, I swung my hip to the side, bumping my car door softly enough to close it without making a dent. Reaching over the closed door, I reached in and grabbed my purse.

The smells of expensive oils and grease that assaulted my nose nearly brought me to my knees as I walked to the front desk. The pretty woman sitting behind the desk froze when she looked at me. The name tag on her shirt announced that her name was Kristine.

"Ca- Can I help you miss?" She stuttered.

"I have a 3:45 with Tegan."

A puzzled look came across her face as she looked me up and down. Shaking her head, she glanced down at her appointment book and raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Rosalie Hale? Your here for the mechanic job?" The hint of laughter in her voice irritated me.

"Of course I am," my tone level, "see my car out there? That shiny red number?" I asked, "I bought it new, tore it apart and completely rebuilt every square inch on that baby. I can promise you that it is the fastest car on your lot." I finished with a knowing smirk on my lips.

_Why was I letting this girl get to me?  
_  
"I'm sure you're right," she said matter of factly, "if you could just fill out this application and a take a seat, Tegan will be right with you."

I took the clipboard from Kristine and sat down to answer the questions asked. _This looks easy. _ I wrote my name and address and paused on the line that prompted for my birth-date. Snickering to myself, I wrote in my cover birth-date, making myself 17 again. Once all the personal questions were filled out, I started in on the rest of the applications.

1. Why are you applying for this job?  
_My dad took away all access to my credit cards. I only get $500 a month cash! Who can live on that? Oh, I also love to tinker with cars. Right now, my 2009 Camaro is pulled apart in my garage. I am working on the engine and adding nitro._

2. If a co-worker tried to hit on you, what would you do to discourage it?  
_Um, why would I discourage it? Everyone knows I'm beautiful. It just goes along with the territory. Besides, it is nice to know you can keep the men drooling after all these years!_

3. If a co-worker is rude to you, what do you do?  
_Well, if anyone is going to be rude, it is me. I don't care about what anyone else thinks._

Once I was finished with my application, I stood and walked around the showroom. All the beautiful shiny paraphernalia was calling out to me. The dual mufflers, exhaust systems and nitro kits were begging to be stroked as I walked by.

"Rosalie?" A deep male voice brought me back from my quiet appreciation of my surroundings.

Turning to the man that called me, I was taken off guard by his huge frame. The tight black T clung to every curve of his large muscles. His face was rough and chiseled, His eyes were warm as he extended his large calloused hand toward me. His grip was firm as we shook hands.

"My name is Tegan, I am the general manager for this area."

"Nice to meet you. I am impressed with your showroom."

Tegan smiled at my compliment, "let's head back to my office and we can discuss why you are here."

I could see by the look in his eyes that he was not sure why I was really here. Maybe the choice of outfits was not the best idea after all. I should have listened to Bella when she told me that plain jeans and a T-shirt were more appropriate.

Tegan's office was comfortable. Plaques and pictures hung on the walls, mini sports cars decorated the shelves. There was a wedding picture of Kristine and him on his desk. _Cute couple._

"So, Rosalie..." Tegan paused as he scanned my application. I heard a soft chuckle as he brought the paper up to shield his face.

"You know how to fix cars?" He sounded skeptical.

Internally I rolled my eyes, "Actually, I don't fix cars." Tegan's left eyebrow rose, "I recreate them," I said examining my freshly painted red nails.

Tegan's right eyebrow shot up to join the left one.

"And how do you recreate them?" The doubt in his voice was undeniable.

"Well, take my Z4 for instance. I bought it with all the bells and whistles but before I drove it, I rebuilt the engine, added nitro and now- let's just say that I would bet it could beat anything you've got," I tried to not sound smug. "Right now, my newest obsession is torn apart in my garage at home. I can't put it back together until I get a few more parts but when I am finished, it will be a completely different car than what I bought."

Tegan leaned back in his chair staring at me for a few minutes. "Here's the thing Rosalie, I need a mechanic. I also need a new spokesman, or in your case, spokeswoman for the company. While you seem to know your way around cars, I think you would be better suited behind the camera rather than under a hood."

I couldn't stop the glare that crossed my face. _Typical male pig!_

He shifted in his chair obviously knowing he had irritated me but kept on talking, "there is no traveling required, you would work the occasional weekend car show and the photo shoots for magazines would be mid week, but you would get two days advance notice. The pay is considerably higher than the mechanic's salary."

That was the decision maker right there. As much as I wanted to get my hands inside of other car engines, I had my own project at home that needed funding.

"What's the pay and when can I start?" I asked coolly.

"Well, we need one of your parents to come in and sign a waiver since you are under aged, but once that's done, we could have you behind a camera within the week. You will start off making fifteen hundred a month base with an additional five hundred for each photo shoot for the first three months. Once your trial period is over, you will get commissions on magazine sales. The more issue sold, the more money you'll make."

Smiling, I reached down to my purse and pulled out my cell phone. Pressing 3 on my speed dial, I was immediately connected to Esme. After explaining what needed to be done, I hung my phone up.

"My mom will be here within the hour."

_3 days later_

I was really excited for my first photo shoot. The package from work arrived earlier this morning containing the outfit I was to wear at the photo shoot and thankfully Emmett was on his way to his audition. The tiny red string bikini inside the large box looked to be 2 sizes too small for me but the matching red heels were a perfect fit. Emmett wouldn't let me out of the house if he saw what I was required to wear. I had to admit that the bikini was obscene, barely covering my breasts and butt, but damn! I looked hot. I would obviously wear it with pride.

I arrived a few minutes early wearing a long trench coat covering the barely there bikini. The huge showroom was now housing 4 beautiful cars. The one that caught my eye was a cherry red 1968 Shelby mustang. Naughty images filled my mind as I imagined what was under the hood.

Tegan came from across the room, "Rosalie, are you ready for today?"

"Yes, where do they want me?"

"Hold on, I'll ask." Tegan walked to the beautiful man standing behind the camera. What was with all these hunky hulky men?

As Tegan and the big man walked back toward me, I couldn't take my eyes off his built body. The muscles in his legs clenched and released as he walked, his massive shoulders moving slightly with each step. I had to swallow a mouthful of venom that was suddenly present in my mouth. _ What is wrong with me? Emmett is the picture of sexiness! _ I needed to get a grip and fast.

"Rosalie, this is Dante. He will give you instruction on how he wants today to go." Tegan smiled and then walked away.

Dante stuck his hand toward me. I smiled as we shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, Dante."

"The pleasure is all mine." His voice was deep and masculine. "Let's get started, shall we?"

Dante motioned toward the classic mustang. _Holy crap! I am going to sit inside that beautiful car. I really need to acquire one of these soon. _

Walking to the side of the car, I paused long enough to admire the gloss of the paint that reflected my image as a perfectly cleaned mirror. _ Dang, I look good in Red! _I untied the belt holding my coat closed and shrugged out of it. There were several gasps and quick intakes of breath from the men in the room. The corner of my mouth lifted, _ works every time!  
_  
The driver's side door was opened and I was about to climb in when Dante cleared his throat. "Excuse me, what are you doing?" Confusion was evident in his tone.

I cocked my head to the side to look at him and I shrugged my shoulders, "Getting inside the car so you can take my picture." I tried to keep my voice from getting snappy. I _knew_ where they wanted me but here was no way I was going there.

"Well, Rosalie, we usually take pictures with the models _ on_ the car, not in it."

"Are you insane?" I hissed, "look at the perfect paint job, the owner must have spent a small fortune to get such a pristine shine! Only an ignorant buffoon would suggest such a blasphemous thing."

"Ignorant buffoon?" he laughed, "Well, this ignorant buffoon is in charge of where you sit your fine ass, and he says that you need to scootch yourself up on the hood of that pony right now!"

I clenched my teeth, balled my hands into fists and screamed, "Tegan!"

A hush fell across the loud chatter that had been present in the room as Tegan strutted toward me.

"Rosalie? Is there a problem?" Tegan asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Problem? This big jerk wants me to taint this perfect paint job by _scootching," (using the first two fingers on each hand to air quote 'scootch' for emphasis),_ "myself up on the hood for some stupid pictures!"

Tegan's right hand went up to his chin as his thumb and index finger played with the scruffy whiskers.

"Rose, what do you think your job as spokesman for this company is?" he asked patiently.

"To generate interest in the company so people come in to buy what we have to offer."

Tegan nodded, "And what about the photo shoots for the magazines?"

"Well, I knew I would model next to the cars, but to sit on a fine specimen like this is crossing the line." I hissed.

Tegan laughed, "Model next to the cars? Have you not seen a car or mechanic magazine?"

My feet moved to shoulder length apart, my fists came to rest on my hips as I focused my frustration onto Tegan, "Of course I have seen those magazines! Hell, I own subscriptions to every auto magazine company out there!"

"Well, then, you would know that the models don't just stand next to the cars, but sit on them, seducing every guy that sees the _spread_ into wanting to patronize that company."

I heard the double meaning to his comments but chose to ignore them.

"What do I look like to you? A cheap dumb blond sex goddess?" I paused, "Wait, don't answer that yet- let me rephrase that- Do I look like a cheap dumb blond?"

Tegan and Dante suppressed a laugh as they exchanged looks.

"Look, I know that if I just stand in front of the car, I will sell as many issues as if I sit on the car. Don't make me sit on this beautifully restored machine." I pleaded.

Dante smiled, "Alright, Rosalie, I have a better idea anyway," he snickered bumping his arm against Tegan's.

"Thank you," I sighed knowing that that no matter what, his better idea was better than his first suggestion.

"You don't need to sit on the car, just stand in front of the driver's side door, face the car and lean down, propping your arms onto the open window, but turn your head around to smile at the camera."

I rolled my eyes but felt satisfied with the change of venue. I did as instructed only to hear, "Oh, could you arch your back a little so your ass sticks out a little further."

The next pose he wanted was for me to crouch down by the front tire with my feet spread apart, my knees open with my elbows propped up on them.

I was fairly certain that a few of those shots were for personal use only. Pervert.

My day turned out to be a long one, full of naughty poses and annoying men ogling every move I made. It was against photo shoot policy for anyone other than the photographer to take my pictures but there were several pictures taken- but what could I do? I had to ignore every silent camera phone click.

All in all, it was worth walking out of the showroom with my first photo shoot paycheck. The five hundred would go far, but it was a start.


	3. Jasper

**Disclaimer: **I seriously only own the Twilight books I bought! Quit assuming I own anything else!

Thank you to Kristine & Terri for sprinkling their beta magic on this chapter! (And thank you Shabby for your quick turnaround!)

Quit apology for taking so long to put this up- life got in the way... we have had the flu run through our house, computer software issues I had to deal with at our office and everything else life spits at you on any given day!

ENJOY!

**Budget Cuts**

**Jasper Whitlock Cullen**

I was happy to get out of the house today. I couldn't get a moments peace through the night as I heard--and felt--everyone's emotions stemming from Carlisle's bright idea. Putting a cap on Alice's money was definitely not a good idea. I didn't know who I was more annoyed at; Alice and her excessive moping and whining or Carlisle for causing it.

Unfortunately, Alice and Carlisle were the least of my problems. After deciding on his chosen profession, Emmett made a dash for the nearest adult video store and didn't come home until he had made a few purchases at the local sporting good's store. The emotions being thrown at me from Emmett and Rosalie's room ranged from deep lust to excessive humor. Emmett, teaching himself dancing and stripper routines, was the reason behind it all. Three people in the house were suffering from Emmett's choice in occupations; Alice saw glimpses of his dancing, but thought it was funny, I felt the emotions he and Rosalie were broadcasting, but poor Edward, he had the visual that hit him from 3 sides- Alice's visions, Rosalie's view, and Emmett's mind. There were times I hated my gift but right now, it wasn't so bad after all. I could only imagine how Emmett convinced Rosalie to help him rig up the basketball pole in their room so that it could be used for shooting hoops one minute and pole dancing the next.

The escape into the working class was welcome - no Alice or Emmett to toy with my emotions. Yes, the idea of spending the afternoons in a quiet library where people could sit and enjoy reading the written work of many talented authors was a vacation I was looking forward to.

I arrived at the local library as it was opening for the day. I caught the sweet scent of the old woman who unlocked the doors and turned the 'open' sign on. _She must be diabetic_, I thought to myself. With one cleansing breath, I got out of my car and headed into the library hoping they were hiring.

The smell of leather and paper was strong as I pushed through the entrance. I felt the corners of my lips twitch as the feeling of home hit me hard, scanning the rows of shelves that held volumes of books. I couldn't hold back as I immediately zoned in on the American History section.

Walking quickly to the aisle, my grin turned into a full-blown smile as I rounded the corner to enter the section. There were several volumes I had not yet acquired on the civil war and the battle of the Alamo. _Oh, '__THE CAMPAIGNS OF LIEUT-GEN. N.B. FORREST AND OF FORREST`S CAVALRY WITH PORTRAITS MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS. __' and... _I choked on a gasp as I read the title by J.W. Reid_. _

_What is this doing in a public library? _I carefully pulled the 143 page booklet off the shelf and gently opened the cover. This was a very old book and by the looks of it... I closed my eyes in shock. _How can a public library have a first edition from 1892 just sitting on the shelf?_ I didn't feel any guilt as I lifted the book up to my nose to inhale the smell of the old pages. I couldn't stop at the smell, and began to rub the book over my face, enjoying the texture of the old pages. Lost in my reverie, I was completely surprised at the sudden sound of the old woman clearing her throat in annoyance behind me.

"Excuse me sir, the books are for reading, not for smelling or rubbing on your face. Can I help you with anything?"

_Well, if this isn't just the way to make first impressions_, I thought to myself as I turned to face the woman.

After donning the most charming smile I could manage, I reached out my hand, "Good morning ma'am. My name is Jasper and I was hoping you were hiring."

The woman stood frozen watching me. I felt the confusion she felt give way to shyness as my charm kicked into overdrive.

"Jasper." She repeated my name. "Is that a family name? It is quite unusual."

"Yes, ma'am, an old family name."

"You sure are a polite young thing, aren't you?" She smiled sweetly at me.

"Are you hiring ma'am?" I asked politely.

"Well, as a matter of fact, we are. Would you like an application?"

"Yes ma'am, I would."

"You can call me Margaret," she said as she blushed.

The valuable book in question was still in my hand. I couldn't just put it back on the shelf. I had to do something. "Ma'a- Margaret," I corrected myself, "do you think you could sell me this book?" I held it out for her inspection.

She took it from my hands to get a closer look. "Sell a library book?" she questioned, looking at me curiously.

I broke eye contact and reached for the book, feeling a little shameful at myself for what I was about to do. "I just love the Civil War era and this looks like it would fit right into my collection." My gaze settled on hers again as I inhaled deeply, building up as much positive energy and pouring it right into Margaret. _Say yes, say yes, say yes_, I chanted in my head.

"I don't know, Jasper, we don't usually sell books off the shelf. This is a library, not Barnes and Noble," she teased gently. "I'm curious though, how much you would pay for it?"

Yes! I grinned. "I'll turn over my first paycheck to you," I said in all seriousness.

Margaret's eyes widened. "You're first paycheck? It could be more than a few hundred dollars, I couldn't take that much." She shook her head. "Twenty dollars is more than enough, Jasper."

I swallowed the large lump in my throat. _Do you even realize what you're holding in your hand? This book is a first edition, making it very rare- and it is in almost perfect condition. You might want to have it tested to authenticate that it truly is an original but if it is, this really should be in a museum,_ I wanted to yell out, but the greedy monster in me kept my mouth tightly shut on that little piece of information.

Margaret smiled. "Lets get you an application, Jasper." She handed the book back to me, then turned and walked back toward the checkout desk.

The application was filled out and turned in twenty minutes later. Margaret looked it over and hired me on the spot. Of course, my powers of persuasion were used for my benefit.

It didn't take much, just a little countering of Margaret's doubts. If she thought I might be lazy or irresponsible, I funneled emotions of trust and responsibility.

"Could you start today?" she asked hopefully. "Eliza called in sick and I just don't know if I can manage the library on my own today."

"Absolutely, I can start now or come back later, whichever works best for you."

"Now that would be wonderful." She beamed.

I took my jacket off and gently wrapped my little purchase in it before laying it in a chair behind the counter. "Margaret, is it ok if I pay you after I cash my first paycheck? I am a little short on funds." _Thanks to my wife and father_, I added silently to myself.

The morning flew by, very few people had come in, and I kept myself busy returning books to their designated spots on the shelves and checking to make sure that books already on the shelves were in their proper places, loving every minute of it.

Margaret went to lunch just after noon, nervous that I wouldn't be able to handle things if it got busy.

"Margaret, you worry too much," I said as a wave of calm filled the room. "If things get hairy, I will just call you."

She seemed to relax as she walked out the door. "I'll be back in an hour," she called over her shoulder, taking one last glance around.

Finally I was alone. I could enjoy--_really enjoy--_the treasures sitting on the shelves of this blessed building.

The sound of the electrical doors opening snapped me out of my book worshipping. Slowly walking toward the front desk, I heard the beating of two hearts, both a little too fast for normal activity and then the emotions hit me hard.

Lust.

Desire.

Fear.

Determination.

Excitement.

Two teens walked into the library looking around nervously while keeping an obvious distance between each other. It didn't take a mind reader to know that they were together and trying their hardest to look like they weren't. I ignored them and went back to my beloved Civil War book. Then noises broke the silence.

_"Oh..." _

_"Ah..." _

_"Sshh!"_

A girls giggle.

_"Hurry..."_

_"Ah..."_

_"Mmm..."_

_"Harder..."_

_Oh, no way! They are not going to desecrate the library with their immature trysts,_ I thought as I walked toward the sounds which led me to the romance section. _Figures_. Standing with my feet spread shoulder width apart and my arms crossed over my chest, I cleared my throat.

The kids jumped apart, pulling at their clothing to put it back where it was supposed to be.

"Get a room," I sneered before walking away.

Behind me I heard the rapid heart beats thrumming away as the teens whispered excitedly to each other. It was obvious they were not done and were simply waiting for me to settle back down at the front desk. Once there, it all started up again. I rolled my eyes this time and said loudly enough for them to hear, "If you don't leave this minute, I will turn the video tapes in this library over to the librarian in hopes of identifying you. Then I will take the footage to your parents' houses and show it to them... You have three seconds to vacate the premises! One, two..."

And they were gone. I laughed quietly. There were no cameras in the library but they didn't know that.

Peace was once again restored in the library, or so I thought until I sensed Alice pulling into the parking lot. What is she doing here? Yes, she probably had a vision about me getting this job, but surely she doesn't think I have been paid yet. It didn't take long for Alice to walk through the front doors. I could tell by the look on her face and the mood that was slamming into me that she was up to trouble.

"Hey, Jazz," she cooed, "congratulations on your job." She walked up to the counter smiling mischievously as she looked around. "It seems a bit boring but you love books and get paid for being here- _or_ are you working for free _trying_ to give your paychecks away?" She turned glaring at me. "How could you, Jasper? How could you just decide to give away my money like that?" she huffed.

I rolled my eyes and snorted. _Her money?_

Alice crossed her arms defensively over her chest. "Don't look at me like that, Jasper Whitlock!"

I grinned and sent waves of giddiness towards her frustrated tiny frame. "My job, my paycheck, my money, sweetheart."

Now it was Alice's turn to roll her eyes. "Whatever you say, Jasper."

"Besides," I grinned, "it wasn't my whole paycheck I gave away, it was only twenty dollars."

Alice's eyes locked with mine. "Well Jazz, that's not so bad. All I saw was you tell the old woman that you would give her your whole paycheck." She looked around and then back to me. "Want to give me a tour?" she whispered as a wave of desire rocked through me.

_Dang- she's got to go_, I thought looking at my watch. Margaret was due back in fourteen minutes.

"Alice, I- I can't right now..." I began as she hopped over the counter into my arms, her legs wrapped around my waist.

"Can't or _can_ really quickly?" she breathed, nipping at my neck.

"Alice," I groaned, "I'm at work..."

Alice's mouth moved up to my ear, her tongue flicked out toying with my lobe. "You know what they say, Jazz, all work and no play makes a boy..."

I moved closer to the counter, setting Alice on it while trying to block her advances.

"Alice..." _kiss_ "...do you..." _kiss_ "...want to get..." _kiss_ "...me fired?" I asked between kisses. "I really..." _kiss_ "...like this job."

Alice pulled away. "You won't get fired, especially if we move from the counter and find a dark corner..."

I pushed her arms length. "No, Alice. I just had to break up a little tryst in the romance section. This is where I work. You won't find me coming into your job and pulling you into the inside of the clothing racks or into a dressing room to have my way with you."

_Wrong thing to say_, I thought as Alice's excitement elevated. "I wish you _would." S_he batted her eyes at me.

"Listen, I get off at 6:30. I promise to make this up to you," I said, kissing the tip of her adorable pixie nose. "How about I take you out for a bite to eat? We can meet by the old gold mine north of town and start from there."

Alice grinned. "I'll be there," she giggled as she hopped off the counter and into my arms again, kissing me thoroughly before leaving. As I watched her walk out the door, I breathed a sigh of relief as Margaret walked in eight minutes early.

"Welcome back, ma'am."

Margaret looked around, relief rolling off her relaxing form. "It looks like you had an uneventful time while I was gone."

_Yep, completely uneventful_, I thought grinning.

"Would you like to take a break?"

"No, I'm fine." Just then a group of young children came bounding into the library, filling the silence with excited chatter.

"Oh, dear me, I completely forgot about story-time. Eliza usually handles it for me." Margaret looked expectantly at me.

_Great- kids_. "Would you like me to do it?" _After all, how hard could it be? _The answer to my own question came within thirty seconds after sitting down in front of the kids. "Good afternoon, my name is Jasper and I get to read books to you today," I said, clearing my throat.

A small little boy in front of me stuck his finger up his nose. "My name is Johnny," he said, pulling his finger back out and examining the shinny booger on the tip before popping it into his mouth.

_Gross!_

"I'm Katie!"

"I'm Jenny."

"I'm Debbie."

"I'm Daisy."

"I'm Zoe."

All the kids were talking at once, jumping up and down. The air in the room was circulating, the scent of their blood pooled inside my nose, making it difficult to breath as instinct threatened to take over. I groaned internally. Thankfully the mothers of the kids were too busy quietly visiting with their friends to notice what was going on in the story-time room. The door was open but I quickly got up and closed it, turning to the kids with a sly smirk on my face. _Surely one little kid won't be missed._ _Just the right size for a little snack – but not the booger eating kid_. I licked my lips, slowly examining the buffet before me. My eyes settled on one little girl. _Little Debbie will probably taste just like a little snack cake, sweet and full of warm, juicy filling._ I stalked closer, eyes trained on my target as the door behind me burst open.

"Jasper!" Alice shrieked. "What the hell are you doing?" she hissed under her breath.

I tried to push her away as she grabbed me from behind. "Don't do this," she pleaded as she pulled me toward the window. "Open it up and stick your head outside."

Small cries of fear sounded behind me as the little children watched Alice force me away from them. "You stay here by the window and clear your head. I will handle the kids.

DON'T MOVE!" she hissed, glaring at me.

"Well aren't you all just as cute as Bambi," she said cheerfully, facing the kids.

"Not _helping_, Alice," I groaned under my breath.

She snickered throwing a look of humor over her shoulder.

"Let's go sit down on the reading rug and see what books we get to read today." Alice sat down cross legged on the floor in front of the kids, sorting through the books, finally picking out one and holding it out to show the kids. Cheers erupted out of the small group.

Alice opened the cover of _The Very Hungry Caterpillar_ and began to read, "In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf..."

I began to tune her out, not wanting to hear about the hungry bugger that got to eat and eat and eat... Not a good train of thought to have when surrounded by tiny morsels of food myself...

Finally story-time was over and, thanks to Alice, all the kids happily left the library without a _bite_ on them. Alice began scolding me again, "Jasper, you cannot let yourself get into those situations! If I hadn't gotten here when I did..." She shuddered and then threw her arms around me. "Are you ok? Do you think you should call it quits for the day?"

"I'm ok now, thanks to you."

Alice raised her eyebrows. "I'll just browse the Internet here while you finish your shift."

"Thanks, Alice," I said, squeezing her shoulders lightly in thanks.

Alice danced out into the main part of the library and settled down at a computer terminal. I watched her for a few minutes and then began to clean up the story-time room, sorting out the horror of what could have happened. A shiver ran down my spine. I quickly walked to the door, turned the light off, and exited the room hoping to never have to step foot in it again.

Margaret was busy helping a long line of people check out their books when I joined her at the counter. She turned and smiled at me, thanking me with her smile. I could sense the absolute love she felt for her job as she visited with each person she helped.

"We just got a load of new books that I needed to enter and categorize, Jasper," she said as the last person in line left. "I will be in my office if you need me," she said as she turned away.

I heard Alice giggle. "Incoming in one minute," she said just loud enough for my sensitive ears to pick up

"What do you mean by 'incoming'?" I asked back at the same volume.

"Oh, nothing life threatening... just amusing. Sorry," she said, not sounding at all apologetic.

I didn't wait long before a barrage of lustful emotions rocked through me. I could hear panting, sighs, and a quick heartbeat. If my little friends were at it again, I would toss them out by their ears!

I headed back toward the romance section and found a woman, who looked to be in her mid-thirties, sitting on the floor with an opened book in her hands. She was flushed and obviously excited as she read. She glanced up at me and then quickly back down at her book.

I turned around and left her to her obvious smut, not even wanting to know what had gotten her so excited. All that mattered at the moment was that my shift was finally over.


End file.
